Happy (Healthy) Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!

Hope everyone has a safe, happy, and HEALHY halloween. Yes, I said healthy. There is a way to still enjoy the goodies without overdoing it. If you have made it this far without purchasing candy, then you have already successfully completed step one!

Step 1: Don't buy candy weeks ahead of time that you'll be tempted to eat!
Step 2: AVOID buying your favorite candy so that you won't be tempted to eat it as it's in your house before or after Halloween.
Step 3: Buy candy that is lowest in fat and smaller quantities! Candies such as Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kids (most gummy and hard candies) are FAT FREE and still tasty and come in small quantities. Candies such as chocolates and nutty-one's are going to much higher in fat.
Step 4: Get rid of leftover candy from passing out AND/OR limit the amount your children can keep and donate the rest (or throw away).
Last but not least, Step 5: avoid the focus on foods and candy anyway!! Start a new trend to focus on activities such as pumpkin-carving, decorating, and costumes!

I also recommend if you are trick-or-treating, don't snack while walking AND try to take a longer route to get those extra steps/workout in! If you are handing out candy at your house, definitely try to avoid snacking on the candy as you wait for you trick-or-treaters!

We all know how easy it is to keep candy hanging around the house, or how easy to grab a piece here or there and not realizing how the calories, sugars, and fat grams can add up. And we definitely all know how our young ones do NOT need all that extra sugar!! Always remember that just because there is a holiday DOES NOT mean that your body knows that and will just "ignore" what you take in that day. Your body treats every day the same and never forgets what you eat. If you are serious about getting healthier and staying on the path to wellness, then AVOID that candy! Your body will thank you later!

Remember proper safety tonight while out trick-or-treating with your loved ones, and also remember that every kid that comes to your door comes from a different background and may have multiple things going on in their lives, so please treat them all equally as kind and special :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEN

**SARAH**

Exercise your BRAIN

Brrrr:  Happy Chilly Weather to you all!

[[ For everyone on the East Coast and New England area: PLEASE stay safe and listen to your local authorities. I've been through too many Hurricanes down here on the Gulf Coast where people act on their own judgement and get injured or killed, so please be careful. For everyone NOT affected by the storm currently, I hope you are staying warm and cozy and ACTIVE! ]]

I recently read an article that sparked something inside of me that I wanted to share with y'all. Now, everyone knows how important I think exercise is towards your health and wellness... but here is another great benefit of it: It can preserve your BRAIN really, really well!! Many of us have heard about how puzzles such as Sudoku or Crossword, etc can help the longevity of our brains, which are all true, but many of us have never thought about the good exercise does for it! Not a single soul on this planet wants to have to ever hear their diagnosis of Alzheimer's or Dementia. If you have never had a loved one with it then you are very, very lucky, as it is a very painful and sad disease to watch progress.  A recent study published by the journal Neurology found that exercise/working out is MORE effective at protecting the brain than these cognitively-challenging puzzles or games that we often do.

What the study showed is that older adults (around age 70) who exercised fairly consistently showed less brain shrinkage on their fMRI and fewer white matter lesions. Both brain shrinkage and white matter lesions have been linked to Alzheimer's. This is great news!

We already know that exercising helps our heart, but what we forget is that our heart and brain (and rest of body) are all very closely connected, so DUH we should've known that exercise helps our noggins!! What better reason to get out there and exercise than to want to prevent debilitating and deadly neural diseases later in life. I would suggest that coupling it with your cognitive puzzles would probably help EVEN more. The research I read suggested that strength conditioning was found to be beneficial for the elder patients, which can include small weights, balancing exercises, floor exercises, etc. Cardio workouts is what is very food for our heart, and strength appears to be food not only for our muscular system, but also our brain. Sounds like a win-win-win situation to me!!

If you are on the track to a healthier life physically, you might as well be on the track to a healthier life mentally also. As I've said time and time again: all of this is what WELLNESS is comprised of. Take care of your body and your noggin and you will be rewarded later in life when you really need it!

So put on your jacket and lace up your tennis shoes and get to a gym or park and WORK OUT! Your brain will thank you later! I will be writing an article on Halloween Candy later today or tomorrow- so be on the lookout and remember that just because it is a holiday DOES NOT mean that it is a free-for-all of sugary, non-nutritious, fatty foods/candy. Your body doesn't forget what you put into it, ever.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN WEEK



* Sarah *

References

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/23/exercise-may-preserve-brain-better-than-games/

http://www.neurology.org/content/79/17/1802

Get Back on Your Horse ...

Happy Friday Everyone!

I am enjoying this beautiful weather we are having today in the south by sitting on my back deck typing this post! I would like to say that I had a good week so far, and hope that you have too! I finished ('graduated') my physical therapy for my IT Band (YAYYYY), received my verification letter than I am officially at Certified Consultant for AASP, CC-AASP* (been waiting soooo long for that), got very good feedback about an interview I had last week for a job that I would love, and I am finally starting my Wellspring Journey Weight Loss Groups* here in my city! I am hoping this momentum continues and hopefully soon I'll be on my own couch instead of my parents :)  This week was a good reminder that no matter how bad things might seem, there can be good days/weeks. Patience is a virtue. 

I was reminded quickly of just how important my job as a sport psychology consultant can be for others, as well as myself, this week as I was discussing with a friend how I am a little scared/nervous to get back out there and race or run long distances again. I am indeed nervous that I will injure myself again, or not train properly again, or honestly not be as fast as I once was! As a CC-AASP, I help other athletes, and even non-athletes, who have sustained an injury get back on the field and train again (or back to their jobs, etc). This may seem like an easy job, especially for those athletes who are professional or trying to be professional and are antsy to play again. BUT, you'd be surprised at how many are in the same boat as I am, and very nervous that this will happen again or that they won't play up to par as they did before. As my wise friend told me this week though - you never know if you don't try! Get back on that horse and ride!!

Now, as a CC-AASP I could look at myself and say that there is definitely a confidence issue happening, as well as self-doubt and negative self-talk. All of these are an easy fix, luckily. And as for the nerves of re-injuring myself, I can tell myself "hey, you know all of the exercises and stretches that you did in PT, and you can create a good running/training schedule". More importantly though: I have to BELIEVE in it all. If I don't believe in myself, then I am going nowhere in a hurry!  Self-efficacy is my own belief in being able to perform any activity. If I don't have that, then what is the point in trying? Sure, it will take time and extra effort, but I need to remember that it will be worth it in the end. Aren't most things anyway?

Just like my unemployment woes, financial woes, and stress woes at the moment, my running woes will get better, and eventually not be a woe at all. I encourage you to go for something that you have put off for a long time for any reason. Especially if it is getting back into shape or becoming a healthier you! Slow & steady. Get back on your horse and ride! Believe in yourself. Stay positive. YOU CAN DO IT. Like I have said a hundred times before, mental health is KEY in wellness in your life. Believing in yourself and talking positively to yourself (instead of down to yourself) will improve your mental wellness so much. Get rid of the "can't's"& won't's" in your life, because YOU CAN and if your try then YOU WILL! 

So- since it is so lovely outside today, I think I will take some of my own advice and get a small, slow, run/jog in as well as some strengthening exercises. I encourage you to too! Before there is snow on the ground and less light in the evening time, get outside and be active! 

Have a happy and healthy weekend- and as always, feel free to write me and ask any questions or tell me of your successes! 

Sarah 

www.appliedsportpsych.org

http://www.wellspringjourney.com

http://www.facebook.com/WellspringJourneyWeightLossGroupMobileAl

Planning Out Your Week for Success!

Happy Monday,

I am still trucking away on interviews and job applications, but no luck as of yet. I am staying optimistic though that something will happen soon. I am staying busy with my workouts and runs, as well as seeing friends and family that I didn't get to see much in the last two years while in Chicago. I am looking at it as a vacation from Graduate School :) except that it is an unpaid vacation! :) The best advice I have gotten though is to stay as busy as possible so that I don't allow myself to get down about having little-to-no income. That is another reason I enjoy this blog so much- it keeps me busy and keeps me thinking on health/wellness which is what I want to work in. Ok, enough update on me. 

As we begin this week today, I figured this would be a great time to give some suggestions about how to plan for your week so that you will have a successfully healthy one! One of my FAVORITE suggestions I give to people trying to lose weight or stay on a healthy eating regiment is to PLAN, PLAN, PLAN your meals for the week/month. That way, when you are at the grocery store you know exactly what you need and leave the junk behind! Now, when I say plan, I mean know what you are going to have for breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners for those 7+ days (however long you want to plan). Another part of the planning is go ahead and cook or divide up the ingredients for your meals (aka cook and pack your lunches for the week) and have dinners already made and in the fridge OR already made and divided up into appropriate portion sizes in the fridge. 

I like this idea because we all know how sometimes we get home from a long day and snack while we are making dinner, OR worse, grab the first thing we see and warm it up and eat it. Those don't usually tend to be the healthiest options. When it is already ready for you to eat, and divided up, then all you have to do is take your tubberware (glass, not plastic* - see reason for at bottom of page) and warm it up! Voila! 

There are many sites out there that have templates for grocery lists to help with this process, as well as recipe ideas for the week. I will give some examples:

Lunches for the week that you can pack ahead of time and take to work/school/etc:

-salads (hold the dressing until you eat it) in mason jars or tubberware containers. You can make up to 6  or more on Sunday to eat M-F. Add all the veggies and toppings you want (that are HEALTHY AND LOW FAT) in the container and just take it with you as you leave in the morning. Get creative :)

-fruit salads: divide up into containers in appropriate portion sizes for the week. Bring with your salads. 

-Bake/Cook a meal like grilled chicken with veggies and rice and divide up into 4-6 meals you can have for lunches or dinners so that all you have to do is heat it up. Even add it to your salad :) 

It is as easy as 1-2-3!! Sure, on Saturdays or Sundays it may take a little bit longer to make a more detailed list of groceries and meals. But it will take away time during the week of trying to figure out a meal(s) and will also keep you on the healthy track to wellness! Get creative and try it out this week with what you have in your house already. :) 


Good luck & let me know how it goes this week! 

SARAH


*It is safer to use glass containers (such as Pyrex) when warming up food than plastic containers. The plastic containers are made with multiple chemicals that seep into your food every time you put it in the microwave and heat up. The chemicals have been known as cancer-causing in the plastic tubberware products when heated up. They are useful if just used for cold storage. 

What You Should Know About Concussions

Happy Friday Everyone!

It has been a few days since my last post, I apologize, but I have fortunately had a busier week than usual lately. As I wrote in my very first blog post, I am a Certified Consultant for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (CC-AASP), which means in a nutshell that I am a Sport Psychology Consultant (not to be confused with a sport psychologist, who has their PhD or PsyD). That being said, I figured today would be a good day to talk about my passion in this field, which is Concussion research & education. I took an interest in Concussions while an undergraduate student in bio-psychology class. The brain has always fascinated me, especially it's resiliency and ability to repair itself for the most part. Unfortunately, the brain can only take so many "beatings" also known as mild-to-severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI), more commonly known as 'concussions', 'dingers', 'bell-ringers', etc. All of these names though are ALL brain injuries resulting in sometimes permanent brain damage and degeneration. No matter if there is a loss of consciousness or mild symptoms, each one should be taken with as much seriousness as if it is a severe TBI. 

The most widely used definition of a 'concussion'/TBI is: "a loss of brain function that is induced by trauma, but not defined by an actual physical trauma". 

Unfortunately, once you have had one concussion, you are at risk by up to 80% to sustain a second one and more, especially within the first few days/ & weeks of the first. The more concussions you sustain, the more brain functions you lose and more degeneration occurs. Eventually, your brain just cannot sustain anymore damage and cannot function appropriately. What can happen with concussions sustained very soon after the first or second is a process called "Second Impact Syndrome" (SIS) which can result in immediate death. Now, that's not something that many coaches are even aware of! It is our job as friends, colleagues, parents, coaches, siblings, doctors, teachers, etc to inform our young athletes of. If SIS does not occur, there are still chances of loss of brain functions permanently. 

Unfortunately, in contact sports, we are seeing this repeated concussion epidemic happen so frequently that it is causing many athletes to be forced in retirement, lose their spots on a team, and most tragically result in their death. The symptoms of sustaining multiple concussions can range from mild headaches to severe memory loss, personality changes, and other cognitive impairments. In 2009, a study found that at least 4% of football players alone suffer at least one concussion in a single season. And that number is probably much lower than the actual statistic due to failure to report them, etc. 

Many symptoms of a concussion (especially more than one) are: headaches, dizziness, inability to sleep, depression, nightmares, memory loss, being emotionally "off", sensitivity to light, and MANY, MANY, MANY more. Just because you don't have any of these or all of these does not mean you have not sustained a concussion. There are many tests out there to check out if you have one, but failure to report symptoms could be your last decision... 

Now, the most tragic and fatal consequence of sustaining many concussions over a period of time (short or long) is the development of what is known as "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy" (CTE), otherwise known as 'punch-drunk syndrome' or 'dementia pugilistica'. This disease is being widely researched today, especially by a doctor named Dr. Robert Cantu. Dr Cantu's research shows that: 

"The symptoms of CTE are insidious, first manifest by deteriorations in attention, concentration, and memory, as well as disorientation and confusion, and occasionally accompanied by dizziness and headaches. With progressive deterioration, additional symptoms, such as lack of insight, poor judgment, and overt dementia, become manifest. Severe cases are accompanied by a progressive slowing of muscular movements, a staggered, propulsive gait, masked facies, impeded speech, tremors, vertigo, and deafness".

As you can see, the symptoms associated with CTE are nothing anyone wants to ever have to endure. Unfortunately, many athletes who have CTE do not even know it. The most depressing part of this is that there is no cure at the moment, and often times it is so unbearable for those who have it, that they end up taking their own life or harming others around them. Many NFL players who have died as of recently, such as Junior Seau, have donated their brains to research with Dr. Cantu so they can try to find a cure or medicine to slow down this degenerative process for others. What needs to happen though, are more preventative measures to keep our athletes brains safer, including more education to them, stricter penalties and rules in the games, and better equipment. Many states have taken up the initiative to place more rules in contact sports, even limiting the contact for youth hockey and football players. One idea I have seen catching on is only allowing flag football for young kids until they reach puberty. Brain damage before the onset of puberty can be even more detrimental. 

Now, I know this is a lot of information for your Friday, but I have a passion for it and hate to see the continuation of athletes returning to play only a few days or week after they sustained a verified concussion. Return-to-play guidelines state that a player should wait up to 3 weeks AT LEAST to get back in there after sustaining a concussions, no matter how mild or severe. Even if your symptoms have receded, there can still be brain swelling, and that is a recipe for disaster should you sustain a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th soon after. 

Take the time to teach your young ones about the symptoms of a concussion. Educate yourself more also. Dr. Cantu's research is online, as well as so many others. A great book to read is called "Head Games" by Christopher Nowinski who has been sidelined due to the many concussions he received in football and wrestling. It is no light hearted tale. Also, feel free to ask me any questions, or voice your concerns on here. Most importantly, don't think that you or your loved ones are not at risk in their sport. Sports affected mostly are: soccer, football, hockey, rugby, field hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, boxing, basketball and even baseball/softball. Women are usually at a higher risk of permanent brain damage, especially when they are constantly "heading the ball" in soccer! ROCK CENTER did a phenomenal piece on a group of female high school soccer players who have sustained so many concussions that almost all of them can no longer play again and suffer daily, debilitating symptoms. There is also a documentary film that is coming out any day called "Bell Rung: An Alarming Portrait of Professional Football" that I highly recommend seeking out. 

I hope this post has not put too much of a strain on the beginning of your weekend :) Keep those noggins healthy and happy and you will be rewarded all of your life. Mental health is right up there in importance of WELLNESS!! I have attached some links at the bottom of this article for your further research. 

Have a happy & healthy weekend,

*Sarah*  

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bell-Rung-An-Alarming-Portrait-Of-Professional-Football/183547788336211

http://www.chrisnowinski.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2945234/

http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/05/09/11604307-concussion-crisis-growing-in-girls-soccer?lite

http://journals.lww.com/neurosurgery/Abstract/2005/07000/Chronic_Traumatic_Encephalopathy_in_a_National.21.aspx 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/05/opinion/udall-football-concussions/index.html

http://www.thenation.com/blog/167745/junior-seau-and-nfls-concussion-epidemic#

References:

-Bear, M., Connors, B., Paradiso, M. (2007). Neuroscience, exploring the brain. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

-Brain Injury Resource Center, (1998). http://www.headinjury.com/faqpcs.htm

-Carter, Rita (2010). Mapping the mind. Los Angeles, CA: Universtiy of California Press

-Eyseck & Keane. (2010). Cognitive psychology, a students handbook. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

-Nownski, Chris (2007). Head games, football’s concussion crisis. East Bridgewater, MA: The Drummond Publishing Group.

-McKee, A., Cantu, R., Nowinski, C., et al., (2009). Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in athletes: a progressive tauopathy following repetitive injury. J Neuropathol Exp Journal, 68(7), 709-735.

-Powell, J., Barber-Foss, K. (1999). Traumatic brain injury in high school athletes. JAMA, 282, 958-963

SuperFoods for Sickness!

Happy Tuesday All,

Please excuse any typos or inconsistencies as I am under the weather with a severe sinus infection and throat infection. Guess my time was due to get sick, but luckily since I am unemployed I don't have to worry about taking off of work :)  And man, it would've been at least 2-3 days off of work. This is probably the worst sinus infection I've ever had.. one in which I actually sought out a dr appointment for. I figured as I lay in my bed (yes, I actually have a bed at my parents house for you skeptics) I could make a post on here about wellness in good times and bad, sickness and health...instead of complaining any more. So here it goes. 

As many of us know, the only thing we want to do when feeling sick is lay around and sip on some hot tea or soup. Honestly, that is all I have wanted to do the past 3 days. Rest is a must when very sick, definitely. Your body needs that extra rest to recover and heal itself. But, you also need to stay conscious about the things you are putting in your body, including food and medications. As far as medications go, if you are unsure of what to take or how much to take of something, consult your local pharmacist or physician. Sometimes when you have a cold or sinus infection there is not much you can but let it run its course since it is a virus. When you have a bacterial infection, like my case, you most likely will need antibiotics to help kick those germs out of your system and get you back on your feet. Occasionally they might give you a steroid on top of that. But medications are not always your solution either. There are multiple methods to help with your sickness that you might take to better than medicine. For example, seeing your local chiropractor and/or wellness expert can do spinal adjustments to aid in recovery processes, or natural supplements to help your body get that boost it needs to fight the infection. Another powerful source to fight is in your local grocery stores: FOOD!

Just because we are sick, does not mean that we have a hall pass to eat whatever we want (or not eat in some instances). For example, instead of going for those sugary popsicles when you have a sore throat, try having some greek yogurt (refrigerated or frozen), or even ice cubes. Eating foods rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, antioxidants, and other nutrients can also kick start your immune system to help fight those symptoms. Some examples are: broccoli (steamed or raw) for a sinus infection, vitamin C for colds etc, turkey (lean protein and amino acids) to build immune system, tea (without sugar) to prevent further sickness, garlic (raw) for immune boosting compounds is great, almonds for it's magnesium, vegetable juice (without sugar-- make your own!), baked sweet potatoes to boost beta-carotene, and your daily supplements or vitamins you take! It is essential though that you try to eat throughout your day though, even when those taste buds or appetite seem to be gone. Not eating can prolong your sickness, which is definitely not what anyone wants!

Many of these foods are easy to eat when sick and shouldn't be too heavy when you might be feeling queasy. Maybe next time you are reaching for the good ole' chicken noodle soup, you'll grab a sweet potato instead or have some streamed broccoli (and add some garlic). These will not only keep your hunger at bay and the energy you need to fight the sickness, but you will also be fighting the sickness with natural supplements. You might think from reading this that I might not have taken some of my own advice, because I am actually taking medication, but I am taking an antibiotic and steroid to help the bacterial portion of my sickness (FYI). Howeverrrrr....I am also seeking these super food remedies, as well as seeing my chiropractor, AND getting plentyyyyy of rest! I am already on the mend. I don't want to say medicine is the best choice for you, or the worst choice, because that is for you to decide. But for wellness' sake, the better you can build your immune system DAILY with these SuperFoods, the better your immune system will probably be in general. Of course, exercise goes hand-in-hand with this also. Those endorphins and neurotransmitters released during exercise help keep your mind AND BODY healthy. 

So, lesson today is, wellness is the key to living your life through the good and bad.. sickness and health! Start your wellness track NOW and get onto living a much healthier and happier life with less sickness and less doctor appointments. I encourage you to research and seek out remedies or treatment options that suit your needs best. Be careful with flu season around the corner.. if you are a child (or have a child) or an elderly person, you might want to look into getting a vaccination. Now, get to your local supermarket!!

To your health & wellness,

Sarah!

Please see Melanie's 7 Superfoods to Live Longer below! Great stuff!
(http://www.jesrestaurantequipment.com/jesrestaurantequipmentblog/eat-these-7-superfoods-and-live-longer/).